


Greater

by katwithallergies



Category: White Collar
Genre: Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-04
Updated: 2013-01-04
Packaged: 2017-11-23 14:23:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/623137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katwithallergies/pseuds/katwithallergies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Had Peter been the kind of guy who would risk it all to be with Neal, who would throw caution to the wind, then Neal wouldn't have been nearly as infatuated with him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Greater

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Everything in a Day](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8114) by [Butterfly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Butterfly/pseuds/Butterfly). 



> Just a short fic from Neal's POV that I found in one of my notebooks. Credit for the line that inspired this fic goes to [Butterfly](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Butterfly/pseuds/Butterfly) in her fic [Everything in a Day](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8114) which is great and you should go read it.

_"This is why I love you, because your honor is greater than your need."_

_  
_Neal scribbled the line underneath a pencil sketch of Peter in the office, in his bad suit, catching bad guys.  The line was part of a poem; he couldn't quite find the rest of the words yet even though he could feel their shape in his mind.

He sighed and fliped the sketch book shut, tossing it onto the night stand. Peter's complete unwillingnesss to potentially compromise their effectiveness at work or his relationship with El (nevermind that she'd all but given them her explicit permission) somehow only made Neal admire him more.  It was a painful paradox. Had Peter been the kind of guy who would risk it all to be with Neal, who would throw caution to the wind, then Neal wouldn't have been nearly as interested in him.

Peter was focused, steady.  Tedious. He never acted without thinking it through, which is something Neal could appreciate. Even when he was frustrated by how _long_ Peter took to think about things (always) Neal was more and more infatuated with Peter's every slow and steady move.

On the point of his (potential, unrealized) relationship with Neal, Peter had dug in his heels an absolutely refused to reconsider.  No amount of rationalizing, seducing, or scamming by Neal could sway him, although it obviously wore on him.  Neal knew that Peter wanted him, but Peter was convinced that any (ahem) _expansion_ of their relationship would be a breach of trust-- with the feds and with his wife.

And goddammit if Neal's (obviously broken) brain didn't think that was hot.  Peter would say it's because he's a thief: always wanting what he can't have is his M.O.  Peter.  Peter was the problem and the solution. 

Neal kicked the covers off his legs and rolled over.   _Or maybe,_ he thought, _El could be the_ _solution._ He grinned into his pillow, already building a new plan.

A woman's touch was just what this situation needed.  _And if that doesn't work,_ he thought, _I'll turn Mozzie loose._

 


End file.
